Persian pumpkin stew

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 pounds Stew meat ; (lamb or beef)
2 smalls Pumpkin ; or 1 med-small
½ cup Dried prunes
3 tablespoons Tomato paste
1 teaspoon Turmeric
⅛ teaspoon Cinnamon
½ medium Onion ; chopped
1 pinch Saffron dissolved in
¼ cup Warm water, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Recipe by: The Persian cookbook, "Food of Life" Brown the meat and add about 1 and ½ cups water. Add tomato paste, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron and salt and pepper and sauteed onion.

Cook covered ata simmer for about 1 and ½ to two hours. Meat should be tender and nearly falling apart stage. You may need to add water during cooking but you shouldn't end up with more than the stated amount. You don't want a watery stew. In the meantime, seed the pumpkin and slice into 2X2 inch pieces and peel. Brown on both sides in corn oil. The pumpkin should become brown in some places and somewhat flexible but not totally cooked. Add to meat and cook covered an additional 20-30 minutes until tender but not falling apart. A fork should go into the pumpkin easily but not break it up.

Add the prunes the last 5 minutes of cooking. They shouldn't really cook too much but should get warm. Serve over hot basmatic rice.

Note on pumpkin:

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Baking pumpkins are the best since they are sweeter and less stringy.

I have used jack o lantern pumpkins when feeling frugal and the dish was still good. You want about twice the volume of meat in peeled pumpkin slices.

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